Learn the Steps to Avoid Developing Diabetic Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is the most common nervous system complication associated with diabetes. If affects your legs, hands, and arms. Neuropathy has to do with your sense of touch, and your nerves in these parts will either be more sensitive or less sensitive. The way you feel depends on what nerves are affected.

Less sensitive nerves do not send feelings of pain, heat or cold to the brain as easily. There may be a feeling of numbness or pins and needles in your feet. You may injure your feet and not be aware, due to the decreased sensitivity to pain. You must take extra care not to injure your feet and you must check your feet daily to see if an injury has occurred.

Your nerves may also develop increased sensitivity at times. When this happens, you may feel burning, numbness or tingling, or shooting pains in your legs and feet. You may not be able to tolerate the touch of clothing or sheets on your legs and feet.

Neuropathy can also affect the nerves that control sexual function. This may result in impotence for men and vaginal dryness or difficulty to achieve orgasms for women. Discuss these symptoms with your doctor.

Common treatments for diabetic neuropathy:

Maintain healthy blood sugar levels

Medications such as Lyrica, Cymbalta and others are available with a prescription from your physician

Capsaicin is a topical cream made from hot chili peppers (roll on available) that can dull the discomfort

Walk to decrease leg pains

Relaxation, exercise, acupuncture, hypnosis

Pain clinics

B-complex and alpha lipoic acid

Take care of your feet and report any signs of infection or foot injury immediately.

Marci SloaneMarci Sloane, MS, RD, LD/N, CDE, is a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes educator. She grew up in NYC where she graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Physiology from Teachers College at Columbia University. For over a decade, Marci managed a Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center at a multi-bed hospital in South Florida and has been counseling people on healthy eating, weight loss, and managing diseases and conditions such as: diabetes, pre-diabetes, healthy eating, heart disease, weight loss, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, hypertension, hypoglycemia and a host of other nutrition-related diseases. Marci is an American Diabetes Association Valor Award recipient and lectures frequently to the public and healthcare professionals. Marci was a featured panelist for the Sun-Sentinel's "Let's Take It Off" weight loss program, was highlighted in the Palm Beach Post: Meet Your Neighbor, "Woman's book on healthy eating uses humor as a key ingredient" and was a participant in their Diabetes Series in 2007. Marci Sloane is a member of the American Diabetes Association’s Health Professional Committee.

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